After Slughorn's Party
by Debs1990
Summary: Missing moment from Chapter 15 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Ron is waiting for Hermione to get back to the common room after Slughorn's Christmas party. A confrontation ensues. Written for the Getting Around Challenge.


**After Slughorn's Party**

 _Written for the Getting Around Challenge._

* * *

I am pacing back and forth in the empty Gryffindor common room as I nervously wait for her to return. Minutes have felt like hours, and hours have felt like days since she left for the party with that arrogant, conceited pumpkin head. I didn't think she could look more beautiful than she did at the Yule Ball, but as usual, she has proved me wrong. When I was watching her come down the stairs, all I could think about was how it could have been me going with her. Instead, I had to sit with Lavender and watch Hermione walk out of the common room with someone else, throwing me a smug look as she left as if she knew what she was doing to me. The worst part was that I didn't blame her, I deserved it.

Well, she started it when she snogged Krum, I remind myself. I only snogged Lavender because I felt humiliated about being the only one who had never kissed someone and I wanted to even the playing field. I hate to admit it, but a vindictive part of me wanted to prove a point to Ginny and get back at Hermione for the jealousy and hurt that she made me feel. Another thing that made me angry was the fact that she thought Harry had slipped liquid luck into my pumpkin juice before the Quidditch match. I may have thought the same, but this is beside the point. She felt that I could only play well with Felix Felicis helping me along and that I am rubbish without it. To realise that the girl you like has no faith in you was like being repeatedly stung by an angry swarm of wasps. This is the main reason why I now find myself in a relationship with Lavender Brown. More importantly, it is the reason my friendship with Hermione is over.

Now I will admit that as a sixteen-year-old boy who had never been kissed before, I was quite enthusiastic during my snog sessions with Lavender, in public and empty classrooms. It wasn't just because it made Hermione jealous, either. It was a massive ego boost to me that one of the prettiest girls in our year wanted to go out with and kiss me _,_ Ronald Bilius Weasley. After all, I'm the sidekick and nothing special compared to The Boy Who Lived.

However, all the constant snogging eventually got boring, and I started to feel a bit embarrassed about the continuous public displays of affection that we engaged in. The fact that Lavender is very girly and giggly with a penchant for gossip didn't help matters, and I couldn't help comparing her negatively to Hermione.

I then managed to make things worse by imitating her in class and making her cry. It made Lavender and Parvati laugh, and at the time I was proud of myself because Hermione had laughed at me first. Now I feel sorry for hurting her, but I highly doubt she is going to let me apologise.

Hermione walks into the common room about fifteen minutes later, and I am surprised to see that she is by herself. As I take in her appearance, I notice how dishevelled she looks now compared to when she left. I feel a familiar stab of jealousy as I imagine her in a passionate embrace with that git McLaggen. Shaking this image out of my head, I walk over to where she is standing. She is glaring at me as if I am a piece of chewing gum stuck stubbornly on her shoe.

"Hermione ….," I start but don't get to finish my sentence as she angrily interrupts me.

"I am not interested in anything that you have to say, Ronald Weasley. Now if you don't mind, I want you to get out of my way so I can go to bed." Her voice was dripping with venom. I almost pity Rita Skeeter and Umbridge for making an enemy of her as the girl is terrifying when she is cross. Perversely, I also think that she has never looked sexier than right now. What that says about me, I don't know.

"Where is McLaggen?" I snarl. "He didn't bother walking you back, I see."

"That is none of your business. I had a lovely time with Cormac, and the only reason I came back alone is that he wanted a word with Professor Slughorn."

I don't believe a word of this. In fact, I suspect that he might not have been a gentleman towards her and that she left alone because of this. Anger starts to bubble up inside me at the thought of him touching her without her permission to do so.

"Did he hurt you, Hermione? Did he do anything you didn't want him to do?"

To my surprise, Hermione shrieks with laughter at this and has to take a moment to compose herself before speaking. When she looks at me, I can see the hurt, anger, and confusion in her eyes.

"The only one who has hurt me is you, Ronald. Why did you do it? Why did you have to go and kiss her when I had invited you to the party? I thought we were finally getting somewhere and you had to go and ruin it!" She looks like she is on the verge of tears and I feel both angry and guilty. I let my anger do the talking.

"Don't turn this on me, Hermione! You are the one that snogged Krum!"

"What?" She is gaping at me like a fish out of water.

"Ginny told me."

"It was one kiss at the Yule Ball, Ronald. I didn't tell you because I know how angry you get when I mention Viktor."

"So tell me, was Vicky a good snog?" I ask. I hate to prove her point, but the mention of Viktor and hearing that she did kiss him is making me even angrier. I'm surprised I don't have steam coming out of my ears.

"Is that what this is all about? I kissed Krum, so you kissed Lavender to get back at me? Well, it worked! Nobody has ever hurt me like this, Ron. At least I kissed Krum in private and not in front of you every chance I got. I'm sorry about the Quidditch match as well, but you thought the same thing, and you should know by now that I do have faith in you."

She breaks down at this point, and my anger fades away immediately and is replaced with guilt. I take a couple of tentative steps towards her. She looks up at me with tears streaming down her cheeks, and without thinking, I reach out my hand to wipe the tears. She doesn't pull away.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione," I whisper gently into her ear, and she gasps softly. I can almost hear the red-hot crackle of electricity that surrounds us as we continue to stare at each other. My gaze moves down to her mouth, and I am done for when she licks her lips. As I lean forward, she seems to snap out of the daze that she is in and pushes me away.

"Don't you dare try and kiss me while you are still with her, Ronald Bilius Weasley! You made your decision when you snogged her, and I will not be your bit on the side."

With this, she made her way up to her dormitory. She turned around to look at me one last time.

"Oh, and one more thing before I go. Merry Christmas, Ron," she said, her voice oozing with sarcasm. With that, she left me alone in the common room.

"You complete and utter wanker, Weasley!" I mutter angrily to myself.


End file.
